11 (and a ½) Magic Moments in Margaret River

Day 1

1. Get Breakfast – No day starts properly without a great breakfast.  And they don’t come much better than the ones served up at the White Elephant café in Gnarabup.  Mingle with the locals who are drying off after their early morning dip in the ocean, grab a table, and enjoy scrambled eggs whilst being mesmerised by the huge waves crashing on to the beach.  Have a post brekkie stroll, along the beach path towards Surfers Point at Prevelly.

2. Get Underground – The parts of Margaret River that you can see are beautiful.  What I didn’t realise is that there is as much beauty beneath your feet.  There are over 200 limestone caves in the region, some of which you can explore.  An opportunity to learn your stalactite from your stalagmite.  On the rather aptly named Caves Road, there are a number that you can enter, choosing to visit either just one, or a combination of all of them.  We visited two, both of which were enchanting.

• Lake Cave with a guided tour for $22.50, bookings essential
• Mammoth Cave with a self guided audio tour, no booking required

3. Get supplies for your picnic – If it is a Saturday morning, get along to the excellent Margaret River Farmers Market, just south of town on the main road.  Very much a community event, there are many stalls selling everything from wood fired bread, artisan cheeses, fruit, vegetables, coffee, and anything else you could need. Most of the stalls do have card facilities but it is worth taking some actual, old fashioned cash to cater for the few that don’t.  If like me, cash is something you are not familiar with, there is an ATM conveniently located in the service station just across the road.

4. Get amongst the vines – Let’s get this straight.  Nobody comes to Margaret River without planning to try a few of the world class wines produced in the region.  And, what fun is there in being amongst all this quality wine, but then having to worry about driving? None. So, spend the afternoon exploring one of the many vineyards with an organised wine tour.  We went with Margaret River tours.  An excellent tour visiting 4 very different vineyards, and with the opportunity to taste chocolate, and cheese in between.  Are you sold? What is not to like. Margaret River has over 215 wineries, over more than 5000 hectares, and produces some of Australia’s most premium wines, over 20%, despite only producing 3% of Australia’s wine.  The wine tours can book up early. Another option to check out, which I can also highly recommend, is Grape Escape for either a private, or group tour.  Having only relatively recently escaped the rat race of the big city, these guys are now making quite a name for themselves in the tourism scene.

5. Get Settled – After a long day, you probably need a big feed.  There are many options for dinner in town. We went traditional, and chose the iconic Settlers Tavern, which has its own meat smoker on the deck. That sold it for me.  I certainly took advantage, having the very succulent lamb ribs, 8 of the beauties. If you want something lighter, there is a very extensive menu from you to choose from, together with, as you would expect, a very comprehensive wine list.  Being in Western Australia, I opted for a beer, not being able to resist a pint of Little Creatures, brewed just up the road in Fremantle.

6. Get your single malt on – Limeburners whisky may be better associated with Albany, on the southern coast, but there is an outlet of the Great Southern Distilling Company in Margaret River.  As well as some of the best whisky you will taste, this distillery also produces excellent gin.  A whole selection of them. And you don’t have to spend too much time deliberating which one to try.  Pop in for a tasting flight of either the whisky, or the gin, and you can try four, with matching garnish for the gins.  Rather predictably, I found myself leaving with a bottle of single malt safely tucked under my arm.

7. Get soothed – The day started early, and was filled with some great activities.  Following a nightcap of my newly purchased whisky, I was ready to turn in.  As my head hit the pillow I drifted off to sleep, very content, and soothed by the sounds of the waves crashing on nearby Gnarabup beach.  Dreaming of what tomorrow has in store.

Day 2

8. Catch some waves – Early to bed, early to rise.  Start with a walk on the beach, stopping briefly to watch the surfers, before heading to Sea View Garden café for great coffee and better seaside vibes.  Oh, and the food is first rate too. Whether you pick a classic, as I did, of eggs Benedict with crispy bacon, or take the more adventurous option of Nasi Goreng, the Indonesian breakfast of champions. Find the surf boards and you will know that you have found Sea Garden café.

9. Catch the local sealife – Don’t make the mistake that I had made on previous visits to Margaret River.  Don’t miss Hamelin Bay. Not only is it another incredible example of the amazing beaches and coastline of this part of Australia, but you also get to spend the morning gazing in wonder at the very sizeable, stately stingrays that come right in to shore.  Join the throngs in the shallow water getting up close and personal with these amazing creatures. Just a word of warning. Don’t get too close to the tails of these beautiful rays, as a sharp whip can be painful, as I can testify. Hamelin Bay is a truly beautiful spot and should be high on anyone’s list when in Margaret River.

10. Catch some of Australia’s best produce – Not just producing some of the best wine you will ever taste, many of the vineyards also have restaurants serving lunch to hungry visitors.  I would highly recommend Amelia Park on Caves Road.  You may have noticed by now that much of the best of the region is on, or around Caves Road.  Amelia Park has a dedicated restaurant, across the car park from the cellar door. Sat in the large, busy restaurant, with sweeping views out across the vines, I was treat to one of the best lunches I’ve had in in recent memory.  And I have had some good ones. Following a glass of bubbles, I moved on to the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, oh my word, produced right on site. The wood grilled Fremantle octopus was perfectly complemented with avocado and nduja, adding the perfect level of spice.  For main the strip loin and rosemary salted hand cut chips were delightful. With no room for desert I finished on a Pedro Ximenez sherry that was the colour of butterscotch, and tasted even better. I can also recommend the scallops entree, followed by the duck breast, yes, with delicious crispy skin.

11. Catch the last rays of the day – Another full day, and now time to unwind.  And on the west coast, what better way than to marvel at the sunset anywhere along the coastline that hugs Margaret River.  My choice this weekend was the lookout point on a slight elevation above the iconic White Elephant café, or Ellie to locals. A short 5 minute walk from our charming little accommodation, booked via AirBnB.  With a couple of cold beers in the bag, we slowly wandered up to a prime spot to watch the sun set on another day in paradise.

11½ Catch the world’s second longest jetty – Only getting half, as not strictly in Margaret River, but worth a mention.  Start the easy drive back to Perth, but call in at the beautiful Busselton and check out the magnificent, monumental jetty.  At 1841 metres long, it is the second longest wooden jetty in the world. Explore on foot, the whole length, or for those that are tired, jump on the little tourist train that runs back and forth, carrying weary travellers.  If you find all this thirsty work, and have not had enough libation over the last couple of days, step into The Goose for a coldie and a window seat view of the jetty.

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